Spelling Errors: Stupid? Lazy? Or A-OK?

[Betty]

Making an Arguement for Misspelling (not)

Good spellers, Smith says, should be able to go on writing as usual; those who find the current rules of English too hard to learn should have their spelling labeled variant, not wrong.

This article would lead one to believe that spelling errors just can't be helped. They are everywhere and we should just accept them as a new way to spell things. Since it's happened in the past, and other countries do it, should we also?

I think not. I hate spelling errors in official things. Sure - they happen a lot in emails and on message boards - but I have a hard time counting those...

But in official things - say your term paper, a menu, signage at a national park, your newspaper, your company's logo - all those should be spelled correctly. And for the record, I've found spelling errors in all of them.

The company logo and national forest were the most alarming with the logo leaving out a double letter (either the last of the first word of the first of the last word) which was not on purpose because everywhere else it was spelled correctly.

And also at Sequoia - a word spelled wrong on a sign.

I also believe I'm a hypocrit as I can't seem to catch my own spelling errors right away. I seem to have to send something to the printer and get it past the point where I can't "stop the presses" and then - bammo - look at that glaring error right there.

Which is why someone else always proofreads for me. Usually more then one person.

Sew, whut du u theenk? Kepe on spelling korect? Or shude we all be labuled as varient and not rong?

[innerSpaceman]

Sorry, and maybe it's because I'm a good speller, but I feel poor spelling is a sign of ignorance. Not stupidity, per se. But obviously ignorance of the way words are properly spelled.

I think that bespeaks a certain lazyness and a likely lack of rudimentary education.


I can't stand it when entities that should be able to afford copy check end up spelling things wrong in written form. Absolutely retarded.


I'm much more forgiving of individual people. English can be a tricky language as far as spelling goes. But, c'mon ... we all had a grade-school education, didn't we?

[Alex]

For me the primary issue is confusion. Collectively deciding that truely is an acceptable form of truly doesn't offend my senses.

Language is not rules, it is usage. If 100% of the time the answer given to 2+4 is 9 it doesn't become correct. But if everybody spells twelfth as twelth then that is now the correct spelling.

The line, though, is extremely fuzzy and ill defined. But in general I would be ok with semi-official attempts at spelling normalization.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Originally Posted by Betty

I also believe I'm a hypocrit as I can't seem to catch my own spelling errors right away.

I see what you did their.

I walked into a book store the other day to tell the woman at the counter that the sign advertising "Dog Day's of Summer" didn't need an apostrophe. She didn't seem to be too bothered.

Unforgivable in a children's book store.

[Not Afraid]

I'm a B speller, an F typist and a poor proofreader of my own stuff (but a great proofreader of others). I end up with typos on a regular basis and i don't even see them. Maybe it has something to do with never graduating kindergarten.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Who graduates kindergarten?

Hippy.

[katiesue]

I can't spell for beans. But I know that so when doing anything professionally I'm extra careful. Spelling errors on official documents, resumes etc are stupid. When I do those kinds of things I get someone to prof them for me. For some reason when I type it wrong it looks right.

I'm so bad that my third grade teacher actually still remembers me for poor spelling and bad penmenship. All my reportcards from elementry school I got NS for Non Satisfacory in both.

[BarTopDancer]

I'm a poor speller. Always have been. Thank goodness for spell check.

I also don't have a career where my potential spelling errors will be public facing.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Betty

Making an Arguement for Misspelling (not)



I also believe I'm a hypocrit as I can't seem to catch my own spelling errors right away. I seem to have to send something to the printer and get it past the point where I can't "stop the presses" and then - bammo - look at that glaring error right there.

Bammo!

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

I think that bespeaks a certain lazyness and a likely lack of rudimentary education.

Bammo!

[Betty]

See - SEE! I look at that now and can see it. But when I typed it, didn't even notice.

That's it. I'm officially changing the spelling. You must now spell it that way from now on.